Dave Portnoy Rips Michigan After Stunning Iowa Collapse
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Dave Portnoy has witnessed plenty of painful Michigan football losses.
Apparently, none were quite like Saturday.
Portnoy unloaded on the Wolverines following their stunning 20-19 loss to Iowa at Michigan Stadium, calling it the worst Michigan defeat he has ever witnessed after the Wolverines somehow squandered a game they controlled statistically.
“That was the worst Michigan loss I’ve ever [expletive] seen,” Portnoy said in his postgame reaction. “You can’t dominate the game more than they’ve dominated that game and lose.”
He’s not exaggerating about the domination.
Michigan outgained Iowa 429-285, held the Hawkeyes to 58 rushing yards and possessed the football for nearly nine minutes longer. Bryce Underwood threw for a career-high 276 yards and two touchdowns.
Yet when the final two seconds disappeared, Iowa was celebrating in the Big House.
And Portnoy knew exactly where he wanted to point the finger.
Dave Portnoy Rips Michigan’s Costly Mistakes
Michigan didn’t lose because Iowa controlled the game.
It lost because the Wolverines repeatedly gave the Hawkeyes opportunities to remain in it.
“I cannot believe they lost that game,” Portnoy said while reacting to the collapse. “They dominated that game so thoroughly, and then they just kept making mistakes.”
Michigan finished with eight penalties for 75 yards. It missed a field goal. Underwood was stopped on a fourth-and-1 attempt. A potential interception slipped away.
Then came the mistake Portnoy couldn’t stomach.
With Iowa driving for the winning score, Michigan defensive back Zeke Berry was flagged for unnecessary roughness after a play. The 15-yard penalty helped Iowa continue its 91-yard drive.
Portnoy called the mistake “so stupid.”
Moments later, Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee for a 16-yard touchdown with two seconds remaining.
Iowa 20. Michigan 19.
Game over.
Michigan Somehow Lost a Game It Controlled
The numbers make the result difficult to explain.
According to Michigan’s official postgame statistics, the Wolverines finished with 21 first downs to Iowa’s 16 and averaged 6.3 yards per play while limiting the Hawkeyes to 4.8.
Underwood also delivered arguably his best performance of the season.
He completed 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, while JJ Buchanan caught five passes for a career-high 130 yards and both scores.
That performance has only increased the scrutiny surrounding Michigan’s late-game decisions. Underwood was visibly frustrated during a fourth-quarter exchange with offensive coordinator Jason Beck, and his former Belleville coach Connor Stalions questioned Michigan’s defensive strategy after the game.
Portnoy’s reaction came from a different direction.
He wasn’t blaming Iowa.
He was blaming Michigan for allowing Iowa to hang around long enough to steal it.
Portnoy Makes Surprising Michigan Admission
Here’s where Portnoy’s reaction took an unexpected turn.
For all his anger over the result, he actually came away more optimistic about the Wolverines.
“Michigan had that loss coming. You can’t dominate more and lose,” Portnoy wrote after the game. “Weirdly, I’m more confident in Michigan than ever.”
He later doubled down, saying Michigan is still capable of reaching the College Football Playoff.
That’s because Saturday finally showed what Michigan’s offense could look like when Underwood is pushing the football downfield.
The Wolverines produced six passes of at least 20 yards after recording only five such plays over their first three games combined.
That doesn’t make the loss any less painful.
Michigan is now 3-1 and 0-1 in Big Ten play, and the Wolverines must regroup quickly before traveling to Minnesota.
Portnoy may believe Michigan proved it can compete with anyone.
But he also watched the Wolverines turn statistical domination into a one-point home loss through penalties, missed opportunities and a final defensive collapse.
For a Michigan superfan who has seen just about everything, that was apparently a new one.
The worst one.
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